Christians Victimised In Parts Of North, Dogara Says

A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has said that Christians are being victimised in some parts of northern Nigeria, though he stressed that the situation differs from state to state.

Naijaonpoint reports that Dogara made the remarks on Sunday while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he was asked to comment on claims of religious victimisation in the region.

According to the former Speaker, Christians in several North-Central states do not suffer systemic silencing or marginalisation.

He cited Plateau, Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa states as examples where Christians are able to practise their faith freely and participate fully in public life.

“If you come from Plateau State, Benue State, to some extent Taraba and Nasarawa State, you can’t claim that your voice has been drowned,” Dogara said.

However, Dogara acknowledged that there are areas in northern Nigeria where Christians face challenges linked to religious identity.

He described the issue of victimisation as complex, noting that it cannot be addressed with a blanket assessment of the entire region.

“There are areas, pockets of problems in certain parts of the North that we need to work on,” he said.

Dogara stressed that resolving such challenges would require collaboration between Christians and Muslims who are committed to peaceful coexistence.

He said addressing religious tension must involve people of both faiths working together to build trust and understanding.

On whether Christians are generally being victimised in Nigeria, Dogara said the question was difficult to answer conclusively.

“That is perhaps a very difficult question to answer, and it is on a state-by-state basis,” he said.

He reiterated that while some states allow Christians to practise their faith without discrimination, others still require deliberate efforts to address religious grievances.